A captive portal is a network service that forces a mobile device to be authorized and authenticated prior to establishing network access. The captive portal is often used to present a login page to the user on the user device. The foregoing is performed by placing a newly connected mobile device in a walled garden once the mobile device establishes a link with the network, and filtering most, if not all, traffic between the mobile device and the remainder of the network, and redirecting a browser of the mobile device to a web page that includes the login page.
The web page to which the browser is redirected can seek authentication and/or a payment scheme (e.g. advice of charge), or can display a use policy (e.g. terms and conditions) that the user is to agree to. Captive portals can be used in a hotel room, in a business center, in an airport, or in another location.